I suspect some of Trump's biggest corporate donors were also some of Hillary's big donors. A lot of corporations hedge their bets. Otoh, if I can avoid spending money at some of these places, I will. (Although avoiding Walmart will be hard!)

Isn't this all a case of closing the barn door after the horses have escaped?

I've never understood boycotts. They seem utterly pointless, plus they reek of hypocrisy. I bet none of you will take the time to go through your investment portfolios, mutual funds, and 401K plans to find out if you have your life savings invested in any of these tainted corporations. And if you do discover that, will you pull that money out and reinvest somewhere untainted? To me that would seem a lot more important if you truly believe you don't want your money going to "Trump supporters" than not shopping at Walmart or avoiding staying at a Marriott.

Here's a radical idea: Why not try to understand the viewpoint of the people who voted this man into office and get a grasp on why they actually believe he is going to make America great again.

Want to read an eye opening book? I suggest finding a copy of DEER HUNTING WITH JESUS by Joe Bageant. I'd say it's required reading for everyone who refuses to accept that we are now experiencing a repeat of what happened when Bush was elected into his second term. Though published in 2007 the book gives solid reasons for why America's most maligned and ignored portion of the population (working poor white families - the largest portion of people living in poverty in the US) remain outraged and angry with the way this country is run. I'm learning a lot. Reading these essays is helping me cope with things that are way beyond my control at this point and helps me put into perspective just what happened on November 8.

I've decided to stop reading any more Trump stuff, anti-Trump stuff, political stuff. Yes, it's sticking my fingers in my ears and singing La la la la, but I'm heartily sick and tired of it all and the stress and high "suds level" is bad for me. I have enough health issues without that.

We are pretty much doing the same. Haven't read the front page of the NYT in a week and no news. But I thought this was worth passing on. I have DEER HUNTING somewhere. It is too scary for me to read right now. But these poor white families should have done enough reading to know Donald Trump would be the last person to help them. I came from a poor white family. So did my husband. There are several other books with the same argument now. There is much truth in it but damn, they want black families to be responsible for themselves but don't see the parallel in their situation.

What I find so baffling about the poor-whites-elected-Trump meme is that our minority working-class population has lived in economic insecurity with little hope for change for generations--and that was fine. Only when those economic conditions--living paycheck to paycheck, working multiple part-time jobs to make ends meet--"trickled down" to white people, did it become a cause for concern. If you want to see the racism Trump supporters say does not exist, look at the inherent racism in the situation. Apparently, it's ok for minorities to be condemned to hardscrabble economic conditions, but it's a catastrophe for whites.

/For the record, I don't think those conditions are right for anyone--but I don't think a flim-flam "billionaire" is the one who's going to change things for the better.

My friends in the offline world are struggling to understand the Trump voter. I find this annoying. Whatever their motivations and hardships, they have certainly backed the wrong horse, and I think it comes down to a lack of discernment. The guy has given off signals of the content of his character and utter disregard for anyone but himself and perhaps his kids from day one, and it's not a question of education to sniff that out. He was elected because some people are willing to overlook his greed and mean-spiritedness to further their own interests or agendas, and yes, that is deplorable.

As to boycotts, whether they work or not, I think Trump will definitely notice if it happens to hurt his pocketbook. Or Ivanka's.

Thank you for posting the list of some of Trump's donors. I knew that Walmart's and Chik-fila's owners are horrible, had a hint that Home Depot's is, too. I will not be going to those places.

I agree about the issues about white workers. I abhor the term "white working class" because there is no such thing. It's a working class made up of white, Black, Latino/a, Asian, Indigenous, Arab, immigrants, women, men and LGBT people.

And there are white workers who have a right to be angry about their loss of jobs and incomes. But many of the Detroit and Flint workers who lost auto jobs were African Americans, not just whites. And the loss of those jobs impoverished Flint. (Michael Moore tells it well.) And Trump is not bringing those jobs back; the economy doesn't work that way any more.

But, in reality, white workers, women and men earn a lot more than African-American women and men; Latinos/as earn the least. One has only to go to the Bureau of Labor Statistics to see these figures. The reality is clear.

Also, Black families have less wealth than white families, in general, and were hardest hit by the Recession of 2008. And still are. When the BLS puts out unemployment statistics, the figures for the highest number unemployed are for Black workers and youth.

So, while I do not write off all white workers, there is still a big chasm to overcome -- of racism and xenophobia. To me, the fact that anyone could overlook Trump's deliberate whipping up of those "isms" and anti-Semitism, sexism and hostility to people with disabilities is beyond me. The fact that the worst elements in society were emboldened is his doing. How does one vote for a Trump?

How does one overlook a candidate who whipped up his crowd to beat up nonviolent protesters, Black or white? Who assaulted women and bragged about it? Many people are living in fear right now. The protests going on -- and I hail those young people -- stem from anger and fear, too. There are anti-Muslim, anti-Semitic and anti-immigrant slanders and attacks going on, emboldened by Trump.

Everyone around me is upset. I ate chocolate for a week and wouldn't read the news. Some people in my building are immobilized. I don't blame them. People will be hurt.

Donating money to these good organizations helps a lot. But people have to stand up, too, in whatever venue they have, wherever they are. Whatever comes out of this administration has to be opposed. And I'm so glad the young folks are out there and will be in the future.

I could feel more sympathy for Trump's core voters if they didn't lay their troubles at the feet of black Americans or the Democratic Party. If they bothered to do more than listen to right wing radio stations who fed them with misinformation. If they bothered to prepare themselves for employment. If they weren't racists, misogynists, and gun-toting thugs. Oh, of course not all of them. But enough. And Trump apparently understood them much better than Clinton even though their interest would have been better served by her. So sad. Hopefully the Millenials are really the progressive thinkers were are told they are. I remember this being said eight years ago and that didn't pan out this year.

I think that the Democrats didn't know how to or that they had to speak to the jobs issue for all workers and those of lower income in the U.S., white and people of color communities. They should have offered jobs programs and promised to put funds into them.

But the average income of a Trump voter is $70,000, hardly poverty wages. I've never seen that kind of income.

I think the Millennials out in the streets have different opinions and perspectives. They're not monolithic. But they are angry and afraid and will protest. That is necessary and will be throughout this administration if it tries to gut needed medical coverage or any other essential program, or when they deport people or float our racist and anti-Semitic propaganda.

The young folks are needed. But also whatever opposition Congress can mount, good, women's groups, civil liberties groups, immigrants rights organizations, African-American, Asian, Indigenous groups, labor unions, community groups, etc., is necessary and will help. But doing nothing is not an option.

The Democratic Party has been less interested in actually helping the poor (or all descriptions) since the neoliberals took charge...it's hard to miss. What was the source or sources of the Trump funders list? Not that any of them are terribly unbelievable, nor mostly not corporate monsters. Deb's suspicion than most of them also throw similar money at the Democratic Party is probably right...too far right in a few cases, such as Chic= Fil-A.

George Packer noted in his interview on tonight's THE DAILY SHOW that even though the de-emphasis on helping the poor became pronounced during Bill Clinton's administration, he was still astute enough a politician to warn the HRC campaign that they were ignoring the Rust Belt and its voters to a dangerous extent...and was largely ignored. I was certainly surprised that HRC had not bothered to make an appearance in Wisconsin or Minnesota since April.

Thanks for the positing. Here's the (mostly overlapping) LAST WEEK TONIGHT list: https://www.inverse.com/article/23698-john-oliver-donate-trump-list-president

Patti, the rioters are the people who love their own lies and hypocrisy. They simply cant deal with the fact that Donald Trump will represent the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth with regards to literally everything.

That would be a refreshing change of pace for Trump. A complete change of Standard Operating Procedure...inversely representing, perhaps? I do get the sense, as do so many, that he really never expected nor wanted to win...or lose except in the Electoral College. (Which continues, more than ever, to have no excuse to exist.)

None of you have a clue about Who Trump supporters are or Why they are supporters than the pollsters did. What I am reading here is that you are all continuing to reinforce your superiority over these misinformed, racist & naive people by sympathizing with one another. I do not believe that understanding would go far in your agreeing with them, nor do I believe that you truly even desire to know who, why, or what they are. I can only say that you are far off course.

The electoral college exists for the very reason it was created - to keep a few large & populous states from trampling the rights of all the others. If not for the EC elections would be decided by NY and CA. I dare say this would be fine with three or four other states but the rest of the country would not be represented at all. This is exactly the sort of dominance that you purport to oppose. I too wish there were a fairer way but this would have to encompass at least two governments and would be better represented by some of the large cities vs the rest of the country. At least this way it would be easier to live in a district of one's own accords.

About Me

Patricia Abbott is the author of more than 125 stories that have appeared online, in print journals and in various anthologies. She is the author of two print novels CONCRETE ANGEL (2015) and SHOT IN DETROIT (2016)(Polis Books). CONCRETE ANGEL was nominated for an Anthony and Macavity Award in 2016. SHOT IN DETROIT was nominated for an Edgar Award and an Anthony Award in 2017. A collection of her stories I BRING SORROW AND OTHER STORIES OF TRANSGRESSION will appear in 2018.